


Driven Bananas

by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bananas, Gen, Gros Michel vs Cavendish bananas, Humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 01:59:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1492519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel/pseuds/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 2012, everyone Steve knows is dead, and all the bananas are gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Driven Bananas

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Исчезнувшие бананы](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9478424) by [faikit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faikit/pseuds/faikit), [WTF_Avengers_2017](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WTF_Avengers_2017/pseuds/WTF_Avengers_2017)



> The Gros Michel variety of banana went mostly extinct in the 1950s, and was replaced by the Cavendish banana, which was considered at the time to be inferior in taste.
> 
> Please note this doesn't follow the prompt exactly. Takes place after the Avengers movie.

**Driven Bananas**

“There’s something wrong with these bananas,” Steve says. Stark stares at the bag of bananas Steve has just dumped on the countertop, wearing a bemused expression. Probably because this is the first time they’ve talked since the Battle of New York, and Steve just travelled fifteen blocks and ninety-three floors to walk in and tell him about bananas.

“Um, what?”

“There’s something wrong with these bananas,” Steve repeats angrily. He knows he’s being ridiculous, but this is one more wrong thing in a world full of them, and he can’t take it anymore. “They’re bland, and they’re a bit too soft, and they bruise easy,” Steve hears his voice increase in volume and pitch, but can’t stop himself. “And it’s not just these bananas either, every single banana I’ve bought anywhere tastes just the same, and what is the world coming to when I can’t even enjoy a damn banana!”

He might, just possibly, be shouting.

Stark and Banner exchange wide-eyed looks of consternation, and Steve takes deep breaths, unclenches his fists and tries to relax a little.

“All I want,” he says, a little more calmly, although he’s still breathing too hard, “is to know why I can’t buy a banana that tastes like a banana anymore.”

“So you stormed into my tower to demand answers,” Stark says, carefully neutral. “Okay, that makes sense. Well, kind of. I mean, who else are you going to go to, and I _am_ the expert at finding information. You want me to find out what’s wrong with your bananas?”

“Yes, please,” says Steve.

“Okay, well, uh, you just sit yourself down, and I’ll do an internet search for you, okay?”

“Thank you,” Steve says with as much dignity as he can muster, and sits on one of the high stools and puts his head in his hands, while Stark pulls out some kind of small device and starts tapping away at it.

“So,” says Banner, eyeing Steve across the countertop carefully. “Bananas, huh?”

“Yeah,” says Steve. “Bananas.”

It’s not the bananas, not really, and both of them know it – it’s everything else. The world has changed, moved on without him, and Steve is left trying desperately to make sense of it all. On his good days, he feels like maybe he’ll adapt eventually.

Today isn’t one of his good days.

“Oh hey, Cap, found an answer for you,” Stark says after a few minutes. “The bananas you’ve go there are Cavendish bananas. Different variety from the one you grew up with. There was this banana plague in the fifties, wiped out all the Gros Michel bananas, the ones you’re familiar with. So, now we eat Cavendish bananas, instead.”

Steve absorbs that, or tries to.

“You’re telling me the bananas are gone,” he says, and it’s the final straw.

“Uh, Captain, are you okay?” Banner asks in concern. “Only, you’ve gone sort of, uh red–”

“No, I am not okay,” Steve says, his voice shaking. “It’s 2012, everyone I know is dead, _and all the bananas are gone._ ” Steve brings his fist down on the tabletop. It cracks down the middle.

There’s a long silence, during which Stark and Banner communicate with their eyebrows that the other should say something, and Steve wishes he were dead.

“That about covers it,” Stark says finally. “Cap–”

“I hate this century.” Steve feels weary to the bone. “Nothing’s right anymore and I don’t understand the people, and everyone keeps making references I don’t get. And they look at me like I’m some kind of kid’s fairytale brought to life. Even back during the war, no one looked at me like that.”

There’s another long silence.

“You know,” says Stark, “I realize that this isn’t actually about the bananas, but there’s banana candy, which tastes like the old bananas. Apparently. We could buy you some, if you wanted. It might help.”

“All I wanted was a banana,” Steve says in a small voice.

“Steve,” says Banner gently. “The world’s changed, and you’ve got to accept that. I know it’s hard, but you’ll find your feet eventually.”

“I know,” Steve says, “it’s just – it’s just hard,” he finishes, a little lamely.

“I know.” Stark’s eyes are sympathetic, and Steve remembers with a burst of shame all the things he said to him on the helicarrier, when he was feeling sore at the world and wanted someone to take it out on. “It _is_ hard, Steve. Adjusting to change always is, no matter who you are. It hurts and it takes forever and feels like you’re fighting an uphill battle you don’t have the strength to win. But it doesn’t last forever. Things get better, in the end.”

Steve knows, intellectually, that they’re right, even if their advice doesn’t feel very helpful right now. He appreciates the fact that Stark and Banner care enough to try and reassure him, though – that _does_ help, a little.

“I guess,” he says, then, “Thanks.”

He pulls himself together enough to give them a creditable attempt at a smile. It’s the USO tour smile, bright and without sincerity, but he feels he should be commended for at least managing that much.

“No problem,” Stark says breezily, but his expression is kind. “So, was that a yes or no on the banana candy, I wasn’t sure.”

For a moment Steve feels the impulse to laugh, and is shocked at himself. He hasn’t felt the urge to laugh once since he found himself in the future, even though it’s been a while. It’s enough for him to give Stark a small but genuine smile.

“You know,” Steve says, “why not. Yeah.”

 

 

  
 

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading an amusing [fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1488142/) yesterday (about Steve and Bucky being upset with modern bananas), and it reminded me of a prompt from avengerkink that I read a while ago, about how it's 2012, everyone Steve knows is dead, and all the bananas are gone. ~~I can't find the link to the prompt, so if anyone has it, can they let me know so that I can say that I've filled it?~~
> 
> Prompt is [here](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/18271.html?thread=41769055t41769055).


End file.
